A Lifetime Ago
by everdeenie
Summary: Cuddling in her bed, Jack comes up with a curious question to ask his girlfriend: Who was Tooth before she was... the Tooth Fairy? Tooth tells him her unfolding story of who she was in her past life. [ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP - TOOTH x JACK. Please review!]


_Hi, guys! So, I've been in quite a Rainbow Snowcone mood lately. They're just so cute. And I watched Rise of the Guardians last night, (for like the tenth time) and I noticed Tooth said that they were all people before they were who they were. The whole movie is about finding out about who Jack is, but I wanted to delve into who Tooth was. She was the one who told Jack about it, after all. I was curious, so at 3 AM, I wrote this little piece that incorporates both Tooth x Jack and my little take on Tooth's past life. So, here you go, I present to you...!:_

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><p><strong>"A Lifetime Ago"<strong>

"Tooth."  
>She bats sleepy eyelashes away, only to realize she doesn't know where she is. Or who she's with.<p>

"Tooth."  
>She's in her palace. She's in her bed... and so is someone else. She looks down onto her waist, only to see a pair of snow white hands resting on her belly. Cold, but comforting arms are wrapped around her. Arms covered in those familiar blue sleeves, decorated with delicate, icy patterns.<br>Still dazed from her slumber, she's hesitant to give an intelligent reply.

"H-Huh?"  
>"Tooth," Jack repeats, "Wake up."<p>

Tooth turns her head slightly to see Jack smiling down at her, holding her from behind. Her confusion immediately softens.

"Sorry," Tooth replies, finally waking up, "I was a little confused."  
>Jack kisses the back of her ear, and says, "I can tell. Did you have a good nap?"<p>

"Yes!" she exclaims. "In my dream, I was out on the field! I was collecting teeth with my little fairies. We were going a mile a minute!"

Jack notices how much more excited she gets when she talks about her job. Her face lights up and he swears her eyes sparkle. If there's a cuter thing than Tooth being excited, Jack hasn't found it yet.

"It was great. Great until you woke me up," she huffs under her breath.

Jack laughs and says, "Sorry. I needed to ask you a question."  
>"And it couldn't wait until I woke up on my own?"<p>

"Nope. Your whole existence relies and caters to answering my yearning questions."  
>They both laugh, and when doing so Jack's grip on Tooth's waist tightens.<p>

"Okay. Go ahead, shoot it out," Tooth says amidst the laughter.  
>"Well... You said that before we were... who we are <em>now, <em>we were people. With lives. And then the Man in the Moon chose us to become someone different."  
>Tooth doesn't know where Jack is going with this.<p>

"Yeah... I did say that, and we found out who you were, and how you saved your sister an-"

"No," Jack interrupts, stopping her. "Not me. I already know about me, that's been settled with."  
>Tooth turns her head to look up at her beloved, a confused expression on her face. Her unsure eyes stare into his curious ones.<p>

Jack breathes, "I want to know about you. I want to know who you were, in your past life."

Tooth's expression softens. She then escapes from Jack's embrace, so she can turn her body around to fully face him.

"But Jack, why?"  
>"Can't I ask a question about the person I love?" Jack deadpans. Then he sighs and continues, "Tooth. I know who you are now. I know that person so well, and I've fallen in love with that person, and I could over and over again. But I want to know who you were before you were the Tooth Fairy. How you came to be... the Tooth Fairy."<br>Tooth sighs. "Jack..."  
>His pouting smolder is relentless. "Okay, okay," she gives in.<br>Jack's face lights up, and he takes her hand in his, bringing it up to plant a kiss on top of it. "Thank you, m'darling."

"Haha, okay, don't get ahead of yourself now," she retorts. "Before I was... the Tooth Fairy... My name was Tiana. Growing up, I was always so happy, and I found so much interest in everything. I was so intrigued with every lesson I learned, and with going to new places, and with meeting new people. And I loved teeth. I was especially intrigued by teeth."

"No way! Who ever could have guessed?" Jack gasps. "The... _Tooth Fairy_... loved... _teeth_? I did _not_ see that one coming!" He laughs madly, and Tooth slaps him on the arm.

"Shut up! I'm not finished yet."

"Ow!" he exclaims, rubbing the spot she hit. "Okay, okay, princess, finish your story."

"Who asked to hear it again?"

"I'm not saying I don't want to hear it! Finish your story, please, my dear Tooth?"

Tooth chortles. "That's what I though. Where was I? Oh, yes, my name was Tiana. I loved teeth. And I was a dentist. A very avid one, at that."

Jack sarcastically rolls his eyes. "A dentist? Typ-_ical_!"  
>"Shh!" Tooth motions her hand to threaten hitting him again. "Stop interrupting."<br>"Sorry," Jack replies, a playful smirk on his face.

"And I had also dreamed my whole life, ever since I was a little girl, to have children," Tooth continues. "I couldn't wait to have a child of my own, a little darling dear for me to raise, to hold, to love."

Jack's expression softens with every word she speaks, listening intently to her unfolding story.

"Later, I met this guy, who was very nice. And I married him, fairly young. Not long after, I was pregnant. And I was so happy... I was finally going to have the child I yearned for."

Tooth hesitates with the next part of the story, and Jack can tell she's a bit uneasy.

"You don't have to continue if you don't want to, Tooth," Jack offers. "You've told me a lot, and if that's where you want to stop I'm totally fi-"

"No," Tooth interrupts. "I can tell the rest. Like I said, I was so happy. And then... I remember, going through labor. Holding a death grip on my husband's hand, standing next to me, going through the most excruciating pain. And I remember the doctor urging me through it, and then the doctor and nurses telling me in excited breaths that I was almost there, and... and... that's all. That's all I remember... Because I didn't make it," she finishes her story in one breath, letting it all spill out before she can take anything back.  
>With the end of her statement, Jack grabs her in his arms, embracing her once again and letting her chin rest on his shoulder.<p>

"I'm sorry," he whispers into her ear in a comforting tone. "And I'm sorry I made you tell me that..."

She pulls away from his embrace slightly, but his arms are still wrapped around her. "No, Jack, it's fine. It's been hundreds of years... I'm long over it. It was a past life. _Literally_." She smiles at him, kind eyes assuring him that she's fine.

Jack smiles back, and replies, "Don't worry, I know how that feels. I guess... everyone like us really does have a backstory."

"Oh, Jack, you don't even know the start of it. I was a woman who died bringing a child into this world, and when I woke up, I was someone who was giving joy to the children of this world. I'm Tooth, and I'm still doing what I love. And attending to children, whom I love. And I guess that's why the Man in the Moon made me who I am today. And I'm glad he did. I couldn't ask for more."

"I'm glad, too. Because if he didn't, I never would have met you."

He gives her a kind smile and she returns it, leaning in for a kiss. His arms, still secured on her back, pull her in closer. Wrapped around each other in her bed, like this, he doesn't intend to let her go.

Whoever they were before was a lifetime ago. He plans to spend this lifetime with her.

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><p><em>This was my first Rise of the Guardians fic. I really hope you enjoyed it, and if not, that's fine! But whether you enjoyed it or not, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review, I would be so appreciative of some criticism. Thank you so much.<em>


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